Who are YOU?

"Cause I know who I am...I am Rosemary's granddaughter, spitting image of my father, and when the day is done, my momma's still my biggest fan...

I'm a saint and I'm a sinner

I'm a loser; I'm a winner

I am steady and unstable

I'm young, but I am able."

The lyrics from Jessica Andrew's country song, Who I am, above certainly give "identifying" characteristics for this young singer.

So who are you... who am I?  So often we identify ourselves in terms of 'who" we belong with.  I am Frank's wife; I am Katie, Kellie, Mollie and Clay's mother.  I am Bob and Ruth Ann's daughter.  I am Mimi to Caden, Charlie and Corey.  I am mother in law to Chris and Tim.

We are also identified by what we do... I teach 4th grade.

Our drivers license offers each of us a "real" picture of who we are, what we look like... in that moment when she snaps the picture.  I have yet to receive a picture on my license that I like.  I am never ready at the right time; the "photographer" doesn't give a good warning of 1.2.3 SMILE.  I think the camera adds at least 5 pounds to my face. Or, just maybe... that really is what I look like?! 

i would NOT ever pull out my driver's license to offer introduction for my identity!!

We do however often introduce ourselves in terms of someone or something else.  Does that give us credibility or just simply identification?  There have been times when I've met someone and their response was, "Oh, you're Clay's mom..."  Honestly at times, I have held my breath wondering what exactly the next statement might be.  Would it be a "proud momma" moment because they would follow that question with some glorious comment about how thoughtful, funny and kind my boy is... or might it be a moment of pause as they shared a "not so proud" story of something Clay had done or said.   I could say the same thing of all my children... and myself, as few of us have the luxury of knowing that our identity has ALWAYS been what we want it to be.

A couple of weekends ago, I had the privilege of chaperoning a Youth Retreat that focused on IDENTITY - our identity in Christ... just who are we, not because of anything we've done, not because of what family we were born into... only because of the grace, mercy and love that Jesus offers as our Savior.

We spent a portion of our small group time digging into scripture and defining our identity in Christ.  WOW - truly HE overwhelmed us in that time and since, as I have reflected on who I am.  Our creative group of middle school girls thought the idea of using an "ID" type representation (our id - identity in JC - Jesus Christ)  for each of the qualities that we found would be appropriate.  So, take a look,

In Christ... you are...

REDEEMED, A FRIEND OF JESUS, VICTORIOUS, TRANSFORMED, SAVED BY GRACE, NOT GUILTY, A CHILD OF GOD, RESCUED, HEALED, FREE OF FEAR, AN HEIR, ADOPTED, NOT CONDEMNED, PART OF THE CHURCH, AN OVERCOMER, CHOSEN BY GOD, MADE RIGHT WITH GOD, A TEMPLE OF GOD, STRONG IN THE LORD, and on it goes...

You are LOVED.

Loved enough, His word tells us, so LOVED by God, that HE sent Jesus, HIS only Son, that you, if you choose to believe in HIM, will have eternal life.

That my friends is who we are!  Who might you share that with today?

For God so loved the world that HE gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16